"Fine, fine. But if you're obviously a better flyer than I am, why won't you be captain?"
Cassandra folded her arms and looked at Liam suspiciously.
The question seemed to have been bothering her for a while.
Liam leaned against the stone railing and answered without hesitation.
"Because I don't have time."
He held up the spellbook in his hand.
"My real interest is magic."
That answer didn't surprise Cassandra.
Not in the slightest.
Liam continued.
"Quidditch is a team sport. A captain needs to understand every player's strengths, weaknesses, personality, and habits."
He glanced toward the Quidditch pitch in the distance.
"Only constant training lets you build that understanding."
Then he shrugged.
"I don't intend to spend every afternoon practicing formations."
The explanation made sense.
A captain couldn't simply appear during matches.
Leadership required effort.
Something Liam was unwilling to invest.
"The Beater position is different."
A faint grin appeared.
"My job is simple."
"Simple?"
Cassandra raised an eyebrow.
"Hit Bludgers at people."
"..."
After a brief pause, she reluctantly admitted that was technically accurate.
"So I don't need daily training."
Liam spread his hands.
"Problem solved."
Cassandra laughed despite herself.
"Then at least come meet the team today."
Liam immediately shook his head.
"Not interested."
The answer was so fast that she almost expected it.
"Why not?"
"Because the only reason I'm joining is because you asked."
Liam's tone was perfectly straightforward.
"I don't have anything important to discuss with the older students."
Cassandra stared at him.
Then a smile slowly spread across her face.
"Oh."
That single word contained far too much satisfaction.
She suddenly found herself in a much better mood.
Without another word, she landed her broom properly on the tower platform and stepped beside him.
The breeze tugged gently at her silver-blonde hair.
For once, neither of them spoke.
The silence was surprisingly comfortable.
Eventually, Cassandra tilted her head toward the sky.
"Liam."
"Hm?"
"What do you want in the future?"
He glanced at her.
"My future?"
"Your dream."
The question lingered between them.
For a long moment, Liam genuinely considered it.
Then he sighed.
"Honestly?"
"Honestly."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"I'd like to stop working so hard."
That wasn't the answer Cassandra expected.
"I want a life where I can rest occasionally."
For someone who spent nearly every waking moment studying, researching, training, or preparing for disaster, it was perhaps the most honest answer possible.
Cassandra blinked.
Then she laughed.
"That's your dream?"
"It is."
"That's easy."
She stepped closer.
Then, with all the confidence of a Greengrass, she hooked a finger beneath his chin and lifted it slightly.
"Marry me."
Liam nearly laughed.
"I'll support you."
The declaration was so bold that only Cassandra could have delivered it with a straight face.
Unfortunately, Liam shook his head.
"Not yet."
The playful mood faded slightly.
"Why not?"
"Because Voldemort exists."
His answer was immediate.
Cassandra's smile weakened.
Liam looked toward the horizon.
"He possesses some method of returning from death."
His voice became quieter.
"Until I understand it completely and destroy it, I can't stop."
That was the reality.
If Voldemort returned at full strength, Liam would become one of his first targets.
Dumbledore couldn't protect him twenty-four hours a day.
Nobody could.
Which meant Liam had to prepare himself.
"I need to discover the secret of his immortality."
His silver eyes narrowed slightly.
"And then I need to kill him."
The words were calm.
Matter-of-fact.
As though he were discussing homework.
"Before that happens, I can't afford to relax."
Cassandra frowned.
"What's wrong with taking one or two days off?"
She sounded genuinely unconvinced.
"Can that really make a difference?"
"It can."
Liam nodded.
"My magical power is still far below Voldemort's."
He spoke without embarrassment.
There was no point pretending otherwise.
"If I stop improving while he continues recovering, the gap becomes larger."
Every day mattered.
Every improvement mattered.
Even small gains accumulated over time.
Cassandra bit her lip.
"But if you keep pushing yourself like this, you'll eventually break."
The concern in her voice was obvious.
Liam smiled.
Then he gently tapped her forehead.
"I'm resting right now."
The gesture caught her off guard.
"Talking to you counts."
Her face reddened slightly.
"And don't worry."
His expression softened.
"I've lived like this for years."
The confidence in his voice was reassuring.
"I know how to manage myself."
Cassandra remained unconvinced.
Still, she changed tactics.
"If you ever get tired..."
She hesitated briefly.
"Come stay with us."
Liam blinked.
"Your family?"
She nodded proudly.
"Even Voldemort wouldn't dare attack our estate."
Now she had his attention.
"That confident?"
"Hmph."
Her chin rose slightly.
"The Greengrass family traces its lineage back to Merlin himself."
Liam raised an eyebrow.
Cassandra continued proudly.
"During Grindelwald's war, he personally invited members of our family to join him."
"And?"
"They refused."
"What happened?"
"Nothing."
Her smile widened.
"He left."
That answer was unexpectedly impressive.
"The same thing happened during Voldemort's rise."
Her voice carried unmistakable pride.
"He never attacked our home."
For perhaps the first time, Liam truly appreciated how influential the Greengrass family was.
Still, he shook his head.
"I appreciate the offer."
Then he smiled.
"But I don't really like relying on other people."
Cassandra immediately rolled her eyes.
"You're impossible."
"Probably."
"And stubborn."
"Definitely."
She sighed dramatically.
Yet there was affection behind it.
"I still think you're trying too hard."
"Maybe."
Liam didn't deny it.
"But I don't think I'll lose."
The confidence in his smile was almost irritating.
After all, this was the same person who had once considered challenging Dumbledore shortly after arriving at Hogwarts.
Compared to that, a weakened Voldemort wasn't particularly intimidating.
Cassandra poked his nose.
"You always act tough."
Her voice carried helpless affection.
"You're younger than me."
"Technically."
"You should let my sister and me protect you."
Liam laughed.
"When you finally beat me in a duel, we can discuss that."
Immediately, Cassandra became competitive.
"I will beat you."
She pointed accusingly.
"The only reason I haven't yet is because I've never fought anyone at your level before."
"Of course."
"I'll get used to it."
"Naturally."
"And then I'll knock you flat."
Liam nodded solemnly.
"I look forward to seeing that."
The confidence in his voice only made her more determined.
Several moments later, Liam reopened his spellbook.
Cassandra suddenly remembered why she had come.
"Right."
She smacked her forehead.
"I still need to tell the Quidditch team you're joining."
"Go ahead."
Liam waved a hand dismissively.
"Good luck explaining why you refused to meet them."
With a laugh, Cassandra mounted her broom and launched herself back into the sky.
One week later.
Transfiguration Classroom.
Professor McGonagall sat at her desk, carefully reading a thick stack of parchment.
The pages were covered in notes, revisions, calculations, and magical diagrams.
Liam stood nearby, patiently waiting.
Several minutes passed.
Then several more.
Finally, McGonagall lowered the manuscript.
The expression on her face was unusually complicated.
"Professor?"
Liam asked.
"If there's a problem, please tell me."
His tone remained calm.
"I can continue improving it."
McGonagall rubbed her temples.
"The problem isn't that I found an error."
That answer surprised him.
"The modifications are theoretically sound."
She tapped the manuscript.
"The mathematics work."
Another tap.
"The magical pathways work."
A third.
"The transformation framework works."
Liam frowned.
"Then what's the issue?"
McGonagall sighed heavily.
"It's too bold."
Silence filled the classroom.
"The risk is enormous."
Her eyes met his.
"If we're overlooking even one tiny flaw, you could be permanently injured."
The warning wasn't exaggerated.
It was entirely sincere.
For centuries, wizards had attempted to modify the Animagus transformation process.
Most failed.
Many suffered horrific consequences.
Some never recovered.
McGonagall stood and walked toward the window.
"With your talent, I can practically guarantee success if you follow the standard Animagus path."
She looked back at him.
"You might even master multiple forms eventually."
Then her expression became serious.
"So tell me honestly."
"Do you really intend to continue pursuing a magical creature transformation?"
The concern in her voice was impossible to miss.
After all, every wizard who had attempted such transformations throughout history had paid a terrible price.
And McGonagall had no desire to watch Liam become the next one.
....
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